Published at 11:05, Thursday, 02 August 2012

A DEPRESSED mother killed herself after jumping off Whitehaven’s West pier, an inquest heard.

Sheena Norman, 42, of Grizedale Close, was seen leaping into “rough’’ sea on January 23 by stunned members of the public who subsequently tried to rescue her.

However, she died despite being pulled from the water by an off-duty community police officer and “sustained and vigorous’’ resuscitation efforts.

The inquest, held at West Cumbria Courthouse, heard how Mrs Norman had been “distressed’’ believing she had inherited Huntington’s Disease, a neurodegenerative genetic disorder, which had also affected her brother and late mother.

A post mortem stated Mrs Norman’s cause of death to be drowning. A toxicology report revealed she hadn’t been drinking alcohol and was taking anti-depressant medication.

Coroner David Roberts recorded a verdict of suicide.

Witness Alan Wren had been sitting in his car near the pier on the early afternoon of January 23 when he first saw Mrs Norman. “She was looking over the pier wall. She then jumped out away from the pier, disappearing from sight.’’

When he rushed over to see what had happened he saw her “swimming about four to five feet away from the pier wall, swimming towards the shore’’.

Mr Wren said he told her to “keep going’’ and sent another witness to get a lifebelt which was thrown towards Mrs Norman. However, he said: “She never attempted to go for it.’’

He then saw her hold her arms up in the air and go under the water. “When she came to the surface, her face was down. She just seemed to give up.’’

Another witness, Mike Mcquilliam had been walking with his wife and three dogs on a nearby beach when he had been approached by Mr Wren to say Mrs Norman had jumped in the sea.

Mr Mcquilliam told the inquest he had called out to Mrs Norman and she had told him her name. She also nodded that she had jumped. He said the weather was “cold and windy’’.

“I tried to distract her. I wanted her to focus on me and not go under the water, which worked for a while.’’

He threw the lifebelt towards her but it landed about eight feet away from her. “I told her to get on her back because the tide would bring her in, and she did.’’

Mr Mcquilliam said Mrs Norman then put her hands up and went under the water. He told the inquest he thought she was “actively trying to save herself’’.

Christopher Iseton had also been sitting in a car near the pier. After realising what had happened he ran for a lifebelt which was subsequently thrown.

He told the inquest he hadn’t seen Mrs Norman “actively swimming” and “she made no reaction towards the lifebelt’’.

Off-duty PCSO Jonathan Mann had also been in a car on the harbour that afternoon. He subsequently contacted his colleagues and then attempted to wade into the water towards Mrs Norman but the current had been too strong.

He then wore a rope line which he used to again wade out to Mrs Norman and, with another colleague, brought her to shore.

PCSO Mann told the inquest he and his colleagues tried CPR on Mrs Norman, taking turns when they were tired, however she was “unresponsive’’.

The inquest also heard from George Finn, who lived near to Mrs Norman. He said he first met Mrs Norman in November 2011 when she had passed his house sobbing.

“She told me she had Huntington’s Disease but she hadn’t taken a test. I saw her five times and it was always the same thing she was upset about. It was sad.’’

Mr Finn told the inquest how he had seen Mrs Norman on the day she died. “She was talking about topping herself,’’ he said. Mr Finn invited her into his house, made her a coffee, and thought he had helped calm her down.

She left his house at 1pm on the afternoon of January 23, only an hour before she was seen at Whitehaven’s pier.

Mrs Norman’s husband, Russell, told the inquest his wife was a “very private and caring person... a protective mother’’.

Over the previous 12 months she had became depressed having “really bad days’’.

He said she was convinced she was starting with Huntington’s Disease, “it was a fixation in her head’’.

Mrs Norman, who suffered from coeliac disease, had also complained of stomach problems, feeling sick and nauseous.

Mr Norman told the inquest it may have been “built-up anxiety’’.

She had an appointment to be tested for Huntington’s Disease but she received the letter acknowledging this after the date of the appointment. A new appointment was made for March.

Mr Norman told the inquest that in the week before his wife took her life “every day was a downer, a bad day’’. However, her death had “came out of the blue’’. At the inquest, he thanked each witness for the support they had shown Mrs Norman.

Summing up, Mr Roberts said it was “heartening to see so many people acting so quickly and with each other’’ to help Mrs Norman and “collectively they should be commended for their assistance’’.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk